


Brave New World: Arrow

by Lauriverfanboy1



Series: Brave New World [1]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Post-Crisis on Infinite Earths Crossover Event (CW DC TV Universe)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-14 10:54:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29294730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lauriverfanboy1/pseuds/Lauriverfanboy1
Summary: My name is Oliver Queen. After I died to restore the multiverse, I found myself unexpectedly brought back to the day my journey began on this new world with the mission to do what I failed to before. Save my city and those I lost before. I was once the Spectre, but now I am once again the Green Arrow. Part one of Brave New World Series. Better than summary sounds.
Relationships: John Diggle & Oliver Queen & Felicity Smoak, John Diggle/Lyla Michaels, Laurel Lance/Oliver Queen, Oliver Queen & Felicity Smoak, Oliver Queen & John Diggle, Oliver Queen & Thea Queen, Roy Harper/Thea Queen
Series: Brave New World [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2151483
Comments: 1
Kudos: 20





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Little note, the New Earth Series has been adopted by Jasmine55 on Fanfiction and DarkShado on Archive of our Own.

As Oliver Queen looked up at the newly formed world above him, along with Barry and Sara, both of whom were looking down at him in tear filled eyes, he let out a sigh of relief that his fight was finally over. He could rest now. Everyone he loved would live again. Even if that meant that he couldn't.

With that thought in mind, Oliver closed his eyes as he felt his journey finally come to an end. Or so he thought.

About a minute later, Oliver Queen did the very last thing he ever thought he'd do again. He opened his eyes. A minute later, he shot upwards, breathing heavily, wondering how it was possible that he was even breathing at all. Dead people don't breathe.

"What the hell is going on here?" Oliver asked as he tried to get his bearings, but everything that was happening now made no sense to him.

"You looked surprised Oliver Queen. I cannot blame you." Konstantin Kovar said as he entered the room and now Oliver became aware of where he was. He was somehow back on Lian Yu as Kovar's prisoner.

"How is this possible? You're dead." Oliver said, wondering what the hell was going on.

"Nothing ever truly dies." Kovar said.

"You will." Oliver said as he quickly began working his way out of the restraints Kovar had him in.

"Big talk coming from a man in chains." Kovar said.

"Listen, before you do whatever torture you have planned for me, can I offer you some parting advice?" Oliver asked.

"What?" Kovar asked.

"When you restrain a man, always make sure all of his limbs are accounted for." Oliver said as he jumped up and kicked Kovar in the chest, then flipped as he freed his hands.

"Impressive. But inconsequential." Kovar said as he raised his gun, only for Oliver to quickly knock it out of his hand and hold Kovar in a chokehold.

"You were saying?" Oliver asked as he prepared to snap Kovar's neck yet again, though he honestly had no idea why he was doing this, since if he was dead, it shouldn't matter if Kovar tried to kill him. But then again, all factors led to one clear truth. He wasn't dead. He'd figure out what was going on later, right now, he needed to get off the island.

"Do you really think that you will be able to get off this island alive Mr. Queen? Even if it is not me who gets you, there are others who will." Kovar said.

"And they'll end up the same way you have. Dead on the ground." Oliver said.

"But what of Ms. Lance?" Kovar asked, making Oliver halt.

"What?" Oliver demanded, thinking that they'd also captured Sara somehow.

"Do you honestly believe that you can find where my men have hidden your beloved before the boat arrives to take you home?" Kovar asked.

"Where is she?" Oliver demanded.

"Why would I tell you that. You and Ms. Lance caused me a great deal of trouble back in Russia. What better way to repay you than to make sure you never get home. You kill me, my men will kill her." Kovar said.

"Your men are likely already dead." Oliver said, though he wasn't as confident about that as he would like to be, since now he had no idea what was going on.

"You honestly believe that woman could kill my best men on her own?" Kovar asked.

"You'd be surprised." a new voice that surprised both Kovar and Oliver for different reasons as they turned to see not Sara, but Laurel Lance standing there, her appearance rather ragged, but ultimately, it looked like she'd come out the victor of a few fights.

"Laurel?" Oliver asked, trying to figure out what the hell was going on here.

"What are you waiting for Ollie, the boat will be here any moment." Laurel said and Oliver nodded as he then proceeded to snap Kovar's neck.

"And this time, stay dead." Oliver said, still wondering what was going on, since he had no idea how any of this was happening.

"His men are dead, but we need to move now or we'll miss the boat and I don't know about you, but I've had my share of island life." Laurel said.

"Let's go." Oliver said as he followed Laurel out the door, but to his surprise, he did not find himself on Lian Yu, but in a place he despised almost as much.

"So, you're alive again." Oliver said to Mar Novu.

"As are you Mr. Queen." Novu said.

"What the hell is going on here? Why am I back on Lian Yu and why is Laurel here with me?" Oliver asked.

"It would appear that a force even greater than myself has decided that your journey is not yet complete Oliver." Novu said.

"What are you talking about?" Oliver asked.

"Instead of dying, you have been reborn in the new world you have created, as have the paragons." Novu said.

"I don't understand." Oliver said.

"It would seem that the land of the living is not yet done with you Oliver. So, instead of dying, you have been given a fresh start. You have been returned to the day you returned home from Lian Yu so that you can correct your mistakes and save those you could not before." Novu said.

"Like Laurel." Oliver said and Novu nodded.

"Indeed. It would appear that the universe has decided to reward you by giving you a chance to be with your true love, for while you loved Felicity Smoak greatly, you never did love her the way you did Laurel Lance." Novu said and Oliver couldn't even deny it.

"So does that mean that everyone else I love is back too? Tommy, my mother, Samantha, Quentin, Emiko?" Oliver asked and Novu nodded.

"Yes. You have been given a second chance to save the world Oliver Queen. I recommend you use it wisely." Novu said.

"Is there any chance that you could give me a crash course on everything I've missed?" Oliver asked and Novu chuckled.

"Of course. I will have to do that for all the paragons, except for Lex Luthor, who's memories I will be erasing now that he is no longer of use." Novu said and Oliver nodded as Novu waved his hand and suddenly, Oliver felt the memories of a life he'd never lived enter his mind and he now saw the changes in this reality. In this universe, he'd taken Laurel and Sara on the Gambit, though it was only because Sara had wanted to hitch a ride to China with them and since Sara had finally gotten over him, Oliver, Laurel and Robert hadn't seen the harm in letting her tag along. However, when the gambit went down, they'd been separated and while the rest of his and Sara's history had gone about the same as before, Laurel had been found by the League right after the Gambit had gone down and had thought he was dead, even after Sara joined the League, until they'd met up by pure accident in Russia where Oliver had convinced her to come back with him and now, he was planning on going to Nanda Parbat to get Sara her freedom too.

"Before you go after Sara, I caution you to wait until after you have met with J'onn J'onzz, since he and the other paragons will remember the truth of what is going on as well, so he will be very helpful in helping you build your team." Novu said and Oliver nodded in understanding as Novu returned him to his new life in this brave new world.


	2. Chapter 2

"Are you sure you got all of Kovar's men?" Oliver asked as he and Laurel rushed to where the crates with the gear Anatoli had prepared for them were hidden.

"Yeah. I also shot down his chopper while you were taking a nap." Laurel said.

"He wanted me personally." Oliver said as they reached the crates and they both quickly made it appear like they'd been on the island for years.

"Whatever. Come on, we've only got one shot at this." Laurel said as Oliver nodded as he grabbed his bow, lit the arrowhead and shot it at the pyre, causing it to ignite, just like before, as he and Laurel ran towards the beach to find the boat approaching.

"We're going home." Laurel said.

"And once we're there, we'll find a way to get Sara to come home with us." Oliver said and Laurel nodded, right as the boat reached the shore and two chinese fisherman were standing on the boat.

"You lit the fire?" one of the fisherman asked and Oliver nodded.

"Please, we've been stranded here for 5 years. Can you help us get home?" Oliver asked and the fishermen nodded as they helped Oliver and Laurel board the boat, though neither of them noticed the looks the two fishermen shared.

After the two of them had gotten as comfortable as they could be on the boat, Oliver thought about all the things he was going to do differently, especially after J'onn restored the memories of the rest of his team. The first thing he was going to do was bring his team back together. Starting with his brother in all blood, John, along with Roy, Rene, Thea if she wanted to and even Felicity. And this time, he was going to make sure that the team did not disband. There was also a reason he was bringing Rene in and it was the same reason he had been harder on Rene than he had any of the others. It was because out of all of his recruits, Rene was the one who reminded him the most of himself, which was probably why they'd clashed so frequently. But Oliver knew that Rene was a good man and out of all of the recruits, he was the one Oliver could trust the most, since even though he had betrayed him once before, Oliver understood his position, since honestly, he likely would've done the same thing if the roles had been reversed.

Then he started thinking about how he'd approach his villains differently. Malcolm, Ra's, Darhk, Diaz and Dante, they were all dead as soon as he got them in his sights. Slade, Chase, Emiko and even Cayden James, they were different stories. While Oliver knew that Slade had done some terrible things, he also knew that the only reason he had done them was because he had the mirakuru in him. Oliver knew that underneath the mirakuru was still a man he called his brother and he knew that he had to try to get him back, since who knows, maybe if he prevented Slade from becoming the terrorist Deathstroke, maybe it could prevent his sons from going down the same path. Chase, while Oliver knew he was insane, he also knew that the main reason he'd attacked Star City was because Oliver had killed his father. Which was why Oliver was simply going to put Justin Claybourne in prison instead of kill him, though he also needed to have Chase committed for life, which he was sure Lyla could help him with, though he had no intention of dealing with Chase until after he'd put Waller in the ground, since this time, he wanted to be the one to do it. Emiko, well, Oliver was hoping that after J'onn restored her memories, she'd remember who her real family was and turn on the Ninth Circle, since he'd made it clear to her that despite her thoughts, he did care about her. As for Cayden James, Oliver knew the only reason James had become a real threat was because Diaz had been pulling their strings, so he figured that by killing Diaz, preferably as painfully as possible, he could prevent those events from taking place.

Anyways, Oliver finally pulled himself out of his thoughts as he thought about a phone call he needed to make.

"Hey, do you have a phone? I need to make a call." Oliver said.

"I'm sorry, but that is not happening." one of the fishermen said and Oliver quickly went into attack mode.

"Wait, what?" Laurel asked, her eyes widening.

"Did you really think that you could get away with betraying the Demon Al Nnaji?" One of the fisherman asked.

"Wait no." Laurel said as they both realized what was going on, but they were both injected with knockout agents before they could do anything. However, none of them were expecting what happened to Laurel after she passed out.

When Oliver came too, he groaned as he found himself back in Nanda Parbat.

"Welcome back to Nanda Parbat Ollie." Laurel said from where she was chained to a column next to him and he found himself similarly restrained before her words fully registered with him.

"Wait, welcome back?" Oliver asked.

"Yeah, I remember everything thanks to some big guy with head ridges appearing while I was unconscious. He explained everything to me and restored my memories of my old life." Laurel said.

"Wonder why he'd do that." Oliver said, since Novu never did anything without a reason.

"Beats me, though I have to admit, while my old life may not have been as painful as this one, I kind of prefer the life I had on this earth." Laurel said and Oliver looked at her like she was crazy.

"You're kidding? You prefer the version of your life where you got on the Gambit with me and then spent 5 years as a League assassin?" Oliver asked.

"I know it sounds crazy, but yeah, since for one thing, at least now I'll have a real shot in the field, since I do plan on joining you in the field again as the Black Canary, but more importantly, now I feel like I understand you in a way I didn't before. Plus, now I know that we're going to live through this." Laurel said.

"Maybe, we'll talk more about all this once we get home. But there is one more thing you need to know." Oliver said.

"And what might that be?" Laurel asked.

"Since Sara was at the dawn of time with me, she also remembers the way the world used to be, so she also knows how this is going to end, which is probably the only reason she didn't object to us being brought here." Oliver said and Laurel nodded as the door to the chamber they were being held in opened and Nyssa walked out of it.

"Look how you've fallen." Nyssa said to Laurel.

"How'd you find out I was alive?" Laurel asked.

"It was your sister wasn't it?" Oliver asked.

"So, you know of Talia's relation to me? Excellent. Then you know why she betrayed you." Nyssa said.

"Yes and I plan on repaying the favor once I'm done here." Oliver said.

"You truly are arrogant if you think you will be allowed to leave this place alive." Nyssa said.

"Can you just take us to your father already. If I'm going to die, I'd like to get it over with." Laurel said and Nyssa nodded.

"Very well. Take them." Nyssa said as more assassins appeared and took them to the throne room.

When they arrived, they found Sara waiting with Ra's.

"Al Nnaji, how could you betray me like this? I took you in, I made you strong." Ra's asked Laurel.

"I was never truly one of you and neither is my sister." Laurel said.

"Maybe, but still, you betrayed me and for that, you must pay the price." Ra's said.

"Wait. Laurel told me of your customs, including a trial by combat." Oliver said.

"You wish to fight me?" Ra's asked incredulously and Oliver nodded.

"Laurel only deviated from the League's path because I persuaded her too. This is my opportunity to make amends." Oliver said.

"You are truly delusional if you think you can beat me boy." Ra's said.

"And by refusing my challenge, you look weak to your followers." Oliver said.

"Well played. I accept your challenge and after I kill you, I will kill her and both of your families will pay the price for your defiance." Ra's said.

"But if I win, you will be the one who dies and Laurel and Sara Lance will both be set free." Oliver said.

"I agree to your terms, not that it matters, since you will die." Ra's said.

"Don't be so sure of yourself." Oliver said as his chains were removed and he and Ra's both removed their shirts before they were given swords and circled each other.

"Begin." Nyssa said as she and the whole League watched the unfolding spectacle.

Oliver struck first, as Ra's expected him too, but to his surprise, it was not the sloppy and undisciplined charge attack Ra's was expecting from him, but rather, a swift and precise hit that the Demon's head had to move quickly to dodge.

"You are more skilled than I thought." Ra's admitted.

"First thing I ever learned was that underestimating my opponent was the first and greatest mistake a warrior can make." Oliver said.

"Wise words. Pity they will not save you." Ra's snarled as lunged at Oliver, who blocked and parried with ease as the two began their duel, their blades clashing so quickly that to the untrained eye, they were just two blurs and the only sign of them clashing was the sparks that flew from them. However, every member of the League had their well trained eyes set on the battle and all of them were impressed, since none of them had ever seen an opponent as skilled as Oliver fight Ra's before, since it looked like he was not only fighting the Demon's head he was beating him.

Both Laurel and Sara had to stop their grins, since they both knew how this fight would end, but that didn't mean they couldn't enjoy the show, since after all the pain Ra's had caused them in both realities, they were very pleased to watch him be beaten by Oliver.

"Where did you learn such skill?" Ra's asked as he now found himself in an impossible situation. He was actually being forced on the defensive while Oliver pressed the offensive and he was doing a very good job of kicking Ra's ass.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Oliver said as he used a quick trick to disarm Ra's and held both blades crossed at his opponent's throat, the entire league shocked by this turn of events.

"I will offer this only once. Yield." Oliver said.

"Never. I would rather die than live with the shame of having been defeated by the likes of you." Ra's sneered.

"So be it." Oliver said as he then proceeded to separate Ra's head from his body, stunning the entire league into silence as Oliver pried the demon's head off of Ra's finger.

"Kneel before the new Ra's al Ghul." Oliver said, his tone cold and dark as the League reluctantly did so, except for Nyssa.

"No, I will not accept an outsider stealing my birthright." Nyssa said as she charged at Oliver, who simply tossed her over his shoulder and pinned her to the ground.

"I have no desire to rule the League. I only wanted to save my life and the lives of the only two people in this room I care about." Oliver said, though that wasn't completely true, since he did care about Nyssa, but not as much as he cared about the Lance sisters.

However, he was pulled from his thoughts when he heard someone else enter the room.

"How did you find this place outsider?" a league member asked as Oliver looked up without losing his focus on keeping Nyssa restrained and he was relieved by what he saw.

"I'm a friend of the new Ra's al Ghul." J'onn J'onzz said.

"Leave us." Oliver said as the league members, aside from Laurel, Sara and Nyssa left them.

"How'd you find this place J'onn?" Oliver asked.

"Not easily. But I think you know why I'm here." J'onn said and Oliver nodded.

"Only person you need to do it for is Nyssa here." Oliver said and J'onn nodded.

"Do what?" Nyssa asked as J'onn restored her memories and Oliver released her from her death hold.

"My apologies." Nyssa said to Oliver.

"It's fine. But Nyssa, you know I never wanted to be Ra's." Oliver said and Nyssa nodded.

"I know and honestly, neither do I, but after speaking with Talia, I've come to realize that the league is necessary. And maybe she and I can work to make it something better as she did before." Nyssa said and Oliver nodded.

"I will give you the ring on a few conditions." Oliver said.

"And they are?" Nyssa asked.

"You use the League's resources to help me find Ricardo Diaz." Oliver said.

"Done." Nyssa agreed immediately.

"And also, Al Faith's sword, it belongs to Thea." Oliver said.

"On that we agree." Nyssa said.

"Okay uh, can we go home now?" Laurel asked and Oliver nodded as he handed the ring to Nyssa.

"You may be my friend Nyssa, but if you make me regret this, I will take this ring from you as easily as I gave it to you." Oliver said and Nyssa nodded as she turned to Sara, who'd stayed surprising quiet during this whole ordeal.

"I suppose it would be foolish of me to hope that you'd stay here with me?" Nyssa asked her.

"I wish I could say yes Nyssa, if only to spare you the pain, but we both know that I can't. We both want different things and while I loved you once, I've found someone else that I love even more. And I can't be in a position to find her if I'm here. Besides, you deserve someone who loves you as much as you love them and that isn't me anymore." Sara said sincerely.

"I know, but I had to try, since you will always be my beloved." Nyssa said.

"I know. But Nyssa please, try and move on. Don't stay hung up on me forever." Sara said, since she knew that Nyssa had never truly moved on from her.

"I will try." Nyssa said.

"So, how are we getting home?" Sara asked.

"Well, the original plan was scrapped due to the League showing up, but I think J'onn might be able to help us out." Oliver said.

"How so?" J'onn asked.

"You can shapeshift into one of the fishermen who found us on Lian Yu and get us to Hong Kong in the boat we came on." Oliver said and J'onn nodded, since that did sound like a good plan.

"But before we go anywhere, Sara, I'm kind of wondering why you haven't spoken to me yet." Laurel said to her sister.

"Because I've been trying to convince myself that this is real." Sara admitted as she finally walked towards her sister and hugged her tightly.

"I missed you so much." Sara said as she cried tears of joy at the thought of having her sister back.

"Now you know how I felt each time it happened to you." Laurel said as she hugged her sister back.

"Let's make a deal, no more dying till we're too old to lift swords." Sara said and Laurel laughed.

"Deal, now let's go home." Laurel and Sara nodded as they, Oliver and J'onn left Nanda Parbat to return home.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place before the events of chapter two of Legends.

After J'onn got Oliver, Laurel and Sara back to civilization, specifically the coast of China like they'd originally planned, Oliver gave him a list of people in Star City to restore the memories of when they returned. But while he did that, Sara decided that she and Laurel needed to have a talk about all the tension she could sense coming off both her sister and Oliver the entire boat ride back.

"What's up?" Laurel asked after Sara pulled her aside.

"We need to talk about the emotional tension I felt between you and Ollie on the entire trip back to civilization." Sara said.

"What are you talking about?" Laurel asked.

"Please, I could see you two practically undressing each other with your eyes." Sara said.

"Sara, please, do we have to do this now?" Laurel asked.

"Yes, because I do not want to have to deal with that tension on the plane ride back to Star City. Especially since it'll be best if you and Oliver spend that time working it out. Laurel, do you still love him?" Sara asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah I do, but he probably doesn't feel the same way. After all, I hear he eventually married Felicity." Laurel said.

"I think that the only reason Ollie did that is because he thought that you didn't want to be with him. He was just trying to respect your wishes." Sara said.

"Maybe. But that doesn't change the fact that I lost him once and since there's a good chance that Oliver is going to ask J'onn to restore Felicity's memories and I don't want to get in the way of her and Oliver." Laurel said.

"Still, I think you need to talk this out with him. The sooner, the better." Sara said.

"I know. I just don't know how to bring it up." Laurel said.

"Laurel, you told him on your deathbed that he was the love of your life, I think that is a pretty good way to start the conversation." Sara said and Laurel sighed, since she knew Sara was right.

About an hour later, Oliver, Laurel and Sara found themselves on the private plane Oliver's mother had hired to bring them home, since she didn't trust a commercial plane to bring them home and while she was eager to see her son, she decided that it would be faster for everyone to just hire a plane that was already in China instead of sending the Queen Family's private jet from America to China and back, not that any of them minded, since honestly, they just wanted to get home. Moira had also wired them enough money to get decent clothes so that they wouldn't be returning wearing rags.

Anyways, Sara was currently taking advantage of shower that was in the bathroom of the plane and Oliver and Laurel had actually let her have first dibs on it, since in this reality, she was probably the one who'd had to go the longest without running water.

Oliver was currently sitting in one of the comfortable seats of the plane, holding a glass of scotch and savoring the taste of it as he sipped it, since he honestly never thought he'd be able to enjoy things like this again.

"That looks good." Laurel said as she sat down across from him.

"You want a glass. You're not an alcoholic on this earth." Oliver reminded her.

"Thanks, but I'll pass. Don't want to push my luck, though I guess I do have better coping skills now than I did before." Laurel said.

"So, is there anything in specific you wanted to talk about?" Oliver asked, though he was pretty sure he knew what it was.

"Yeah. I wanted to talk to you about what I said when I was on my deathbed." Laurel said.

"Oh, you mean how you told me that I was the love of your life?" Oliver asked, since he'd never forgotten those words.

"Yeah, that. I'm honestly wondering if telling you that was a mistake. Especially since now I know that you did get back together with Felicity and you married her." Laurel said as she started to ramble, only to be stopped by Oliver kissing her.

"Okay, not that I'm complaining, but what was that?" Laurel asked when he pulled away.

"That was me telling you that it wasn't a mistake. The only mistake was that I didn't have a chance to tell you that you were wrong when you said that you weren't the love of my life. Laurel, the only reason I moved on is because you told me too. You said we couldn't be together." Oliver said.

"And I was wrong about that. But by the time I'd realized what a huge mistake I had made, you were falling for Felicity." Laurel said.

"You could've told me. Maybe if you had, things would've gone differently." Oliver said.

"Maybe. But Ollie, on this Earth, we have a chance to undo our regrets. I need to know, do you regret loving her?" Laurel asked.

"I don't regret the time I had with her, but at the same time, I do regret that I didn't spend that time with you instead. Even after you died, I was shown signs that you and I were meant to be and I still didn't listen because you were dead. In my mind, that meant there was no point in trying. So I pushed those feelings down." Oliver said.

"And now?" Laurel asked, though she was very happy with what she was hearing.

"I've lost you too many times already. I'm never gonna lose you again." Oliver said and Laurel smiled as they kissed again this time much more passionately, right as Sara exited the bathroom, fully dressed in new clothes and while she smiled at the sight of her sister finally getting the man she'd always loved, she knew she needed to put a stop to what was going on before she saw something she did not want to see. To that end, she cleared her throat, causing them to break apart.

"Sara. I didn't hear you leave the bathroom." Laurel said.

"Yeah, I could tell you were a bit preoccupied." Sara said with a smirk.

"Is there something we can do for you Sara?" Oliver asked, a bit annoyed by her smug look.

"Well, you could not do something right in front of me, but I was just letting you guys know that I was done in the shower and that one of you guys can hop in, though maybe you'd both prefer to just jump in together." Sara said with a smirk as she took a seat on the other side of the aisle from them, put a pair of headphones on and started listening to music.

"You know, that's not a bad idea." Oliver said to Laurel.

"You read my mind. Just promise me you'll be gentle. It's been awhile." Laurel said and Oliver smiled.

"No promises." Oliver said and Laurel squealed in surprise and joy as he swept her into his arms and carried her into the bathroom.

By the time the plane landed in Star City, Oliver, Laurel and Sara had all gotten cleaned up to the point that if people didn't know better, they wouldn't know that they'd ever been shipwrecked. After they got off the plane, they were quickly met by an ambulance to take them to Starling General, since while they appeared to be alright, as far as the world knew, all three of them had been stranded on an island in the North China Sea for the past five years, so they needed to be checked out by doctors and their families would be meeting them there.

After they'd arrived at the hospital, they were each given their own hospital rooms as they were examined by doctors.

Laurel was currently looking out at Star City, thinking about how peaceful the city was when she heard the door open. She turned to see her father standing there and he looked more teary eyed than she'd ever remembered seeing him.

"I didn't want to let myself hope that it was true, because I didn't want to risk the disappointment and despair I'd feel if it wasn't and I lost you again." Quentin said as he walked up and hugged his daughter.

"So, you remember everything?" Laurel asked.

"Yeah, the martian guy restored my memories and not just mine. He also restored the memories of Moira, Thea, John, Felicity, Roy, Tommy and two of Oliver's newer recruits, Rene Ramirez and Dinah Drake." Quentin said.

"Dinah huh. Sounds like Ollie kept his promise to me." Laurel said.

"Yeah, he made sure you weren't the last canary." Quentin said.

"Well now I'm going to be the Black Canary again." Laurel said.

"The only reasons I'm going to act like I'm okay with that is because I know that you'll do it regardless of what I think, but more importantly, now you have the same training as Oliver and your sister, which means that you're a bit more prepared." Quentin said and Laurel nodded.

"Speaking of Ollie, there's something I need to tell you." Laurel said.

"You do know that Sara squealed that you're dating him again right?" Quentin asked with a chuckle.

"Of course she did. Are you okay with that?" Laurel asked.

"I am actually. I know that originally I hated Oliver, but that was before I got to know the man he's become and that man is one that I'd be proud to call my son-in-law should it get to that point." Quentin said and Laurel smiled.

"So, when can I get out of here. Honestly, I've had more than my fair share of hospitals to last a lifetime." Laurel said.

"As soon as Dr. Lamb arrives with your discharge papers since he said that all your tests came back clean, really you now just have a similar case to what Oliver and Sara both had when they came back from the dead." Quentin said and Laurel nodded.

At the same time as Laurel's reunion with her father, Oliver was staring out the window of his hospital room, taking a look at how peaceful Star City was right now. Malcolm's undertaking had been what had started the process that had begun reducing the city to the state it had been and now he was armed with the knowledge he needed to stop it. Star City would not fall again. He would not fail again.

Anyways, he was driven from his thoughts when he heard the door to his room open and he turned to see his mother enter the room.

"Oliver?" Moira Queen asked and Oliver felt a ton of weight be lifted off his shoulders at the sight of her being alive.

"Hi mom." Oliver said with a smile as Moira rushed up and hugged him.

"My beautiful boy. You came back to us. Again." Moira said.

"So J'onn delivered." Oliver said.

"Yes, but honestly Oliver, I would've preferred if you'd left me in the dark, so that way I could sleep at night instead of having to worry about the danger that both of my children seem to want to constantly put themselves in. However, I am happy that I now remember how proud I am of the man you've become. The hero." Moira said.

"I couldn't save you though." Oliver said.

"That was not your fault Oliver. I made a choice to sacrifice myself for you and your sister and it paid off, since it gave you the strength you needed to save the city. Besides, it was the only way I felt I could truly do my penance for the Undertaking, which is not going to happen now. I've already spoken with Ms. Smoak about anonymously releasing everything regarding Malcolm and his undertaking to the public, but I wanted to wait until you returned, since you're the only man who stands a chance at stopping him." Moira said and Oliver nodded in agreement, since he was the only person who'd ever managed to beat Malcolm Merlyn more than once.

"I'm guessing the reason Thea isn't here is because she's setting up a welcome home party for Laurel, Sara and I at the mansion." Oliver said.

"Not just her. All your friends, though I can't help but notice how close she is with that Roy character." Moira said and Oliver chuckled.

"I thought you liked Roy." Oliver said.

"I do, but still." Moira said.

"Mom, Roy is the only man who's actually gained my approval to be with Thea for good reason. He loves her more than anything and the only reason things ever went south between them is because of his commitment to me and the mission. But that's not an issue anymore." Oliver said.

"I have to say, I'm not sure how I feel about Thea joining your world. I at least took some comfort in knowing that only one of my children was putting themselves in life threatening danger." Moira said.

"Look, I wasn't thrilled about it either, but Thea is a hero. She proved herself in the field and while honestly, there are very few people I trust to watch my back as much as I trust her too." Oliver said.

"Well good. It's nice to know that despite all my mistakes, I did something right, since both of my children grew up from spoiled brats into selfless heroes." Moira said with a smile as she hugged her son and Oliver decided that he could wait until tomorrow to confront his mother about her lies regarding William and Emiko. Today, he just wanted to enjoy having his mom back. He just wished that he'd gotten his father back as well, but he supposed that would be too greedy.

"What are you thinking about?" Moira asked.

"While I'm glad I was able to save you, I just wish I'd been able to do the same for dad. I mean it sounds like I was able to change everything else. Your death, Tommy's death, Quentin's death, Laurel's death, but I couldn't save his." Oliver said.

"Oliver, I think I know why you couldn't bring Robert back. You could only change the things that wouldn't change you and if it weren't for what your father did for you, you never would've been able to become the man you are today and I don't think Robert would want you to give that up just to bring him back." Moira said.

"I know, but still." Oliver said.

"Oliver, you can't live for your father. You need to live for yourself." Moira said.

"I know and I think I've finally managed to let go of my guilt for dad's death." Oliver said.

"Good. Because while I do miss your father, I also know that he would not want you to blame yourself for his choice." Moira said.

"So anyways, think we can get out of here soon? I've honestly had my fill of hospitals for a while." Oliver said and Moira smiled.

"I'll see what I can do." Moira said.

After Oliver, Laurel and Sara had been discharged from the hospital, they, along with Moira and Quentin, rode in the limo back to the Queen Mansion and Oliver had to admit it was nice to see how peaceful the city looked right now. Before Malcolm's undertaking had caused the city's slow descent into hell.

"It's refreshing how peaceful the city is right now isn't it." Quentin said.

"Yeah and hopefully it will stay that way, since this time, I'm not going to let the Undertaking of any of the rest of the hell that came to this city happen again." Oliver said as the limo pulled up to the mansion.

"Good. Now, I believe you have some people waiting to see you again that we've put off long enough." Moira said as they all got out of the limo and after getting their things out of the trunk, they headed inside the mansion.

"Welcome home Mr. Oliver, Ms. Laurel and Ms. Sara." Raisa said with a smile as she hugged Oliver before leading him, Laurel, Sara and Quentin into the parlour, where they found that a whole party had been set up, complete with a welcome home banner and Thea, Roy, John, Lyla, Felicity, Tommy, Rene and Dinah were all waiting for them, glasses of champagne in their hands.

"Welcome home." they all shouted in unison and Oliver laughed as Thea ran up and hugged him.

"I told you you'd find a way to cheat death. Again." Thea said.

"No need to gloat Speedy." Oliver said with a laugh as Thea let him go to have a reunion with Laurel while Oliver turned to John.

"John, I already know what you're going to say and don't. What happened was not on you." Oliver said.

"I should've at least been there for you Oliver." John said.

"John, you risked a trip to purgatory to bring me back, I think that makes up for it. Besides, what's important is that I came back and I'm not the only one." Oliver said as he looked over to Laurel before he was interrupted.

"Yeah and I appreciate the second chance man." Tommy Merlyn said with a grin as he hugged his best friend.

"I missed you man." Oliver said with a smile.

"What, life wasn't the same without me?" Tommy asked.

"More like I couldn't bring myself to move past your death and my guilt about it." Oliver said.

"Oliver, it was not your fault. If I had just listened to you, I would've been fine. However, I'm guessing that I should not bother going after Laurel this time around." Tommy said with a smirk.

"What gave it away?" Oliver asked.

"I can tell by the way you look at her. Does she know?" Tommy asked.

"We got back together on the flight back to the states." Oliver said.

"Then I think that you owe someone else a chat." John said, nodding in Felicity's direction, especially since she seemed to be avoiding him.

"Yeah, excuse me." Oliver said as he walked towards her.

"I was really hoping that we could do this later." Felicity told him.

"Felicity, I think we both know that if we did that, we'd put this conversation off until things got to the breaking point." Oliver said.

"Just another sign that we were not meant to be." Felicity said.

"Really." Oliver said.

"Oliver, despite what we told ourselves, our marriage was not like Barry and Iris's. Half the time we weren't even on the same page and even when we were, it felt like we were on different parts of it." Felicity said.

"That is true. But Felicity, what I felt for you, it was real." Oliver said.

"I know and what I felt for you was real too. But at the same time, I think I always knew that no matter how you felt about you, you loved her more and I can't exactly blame you, since Laurel is more your type." Felicity said.

"Meaning?" Oliver asked.

"Badass in leather who knows her way around a weapon." Felicity said and Oliver chuckled.

"You were the exception to that." Oliver said.

"Look Oliver, I don't regret the life we built together and I could try and fight for you, but that wouldn't be fair to either of us, since you'd be in love with someone else and I'd be with someone who didn't want me as your first choice, since honestly, I never was to begin with was I?" Felicity asked and Oliver took a deep breath.

"No, you weren't. You were the safe option. A girl who knew my secret, but also didn't come with a bunch of baggage from the past." Oliver said.

"And honestly, I think I was more attracted to the danger of the idea that came from dating the bad boy vigilante." Felicity said.

"This talk is not as awkward as I thought it would be." Oliver said and Felicity smiled.

"I think that's because we're not involved with each other anymore. I think we both know that while we have loved each other in some way, we worked better as friends." Felicity said and Oliver nodded.

"Friends then." Oliver said, holding out his hand, which Felicity shook.

"Friends it is. Oh and one more thing, I am now the CEO of Queen Consolidated." Felicity said bluntly, taking Oliver for a loop.

"Okay, I did not see that coming." Oliver said.

"See what coming?" Thea asked.

"Felicity being the CEO of Queen Consolidated?" Oliver asked.

"Mom didn't tell you about that?" Thea asked.

"No she did not." Oliver said.

"I wasn't sure how you'd react." Moira said as she joined them.

"I think it's a great idea, since Felicity is the most qualified for the position." Oliver said.

"Something we agree on, considering the fact that Queen Consolidated's profits have tripled since she took over for mom last year." Thea said with a grin.

"Wow, so many things about this world are different." Oliver said and Moira nodded.

"I have a feeling that we've only begun to see the changes. But for now Oliver, let's just enjoy the moment." Moira said and Oliver nodded.

At the same time as Oliver's conversation was going on, John went to talk to Laurel.

"Welcome back Laurel." John said as he hugged her.

"Thanks and Dig, Ollie told me how you reacted after my death and it wasn't your fault." Laurel said.

"Laurel, if I hadn't had trusted Andy, Darhk never would've gotten that piece of his idol back and he might not have been able to kill you." John said.

"John, I don't blame you for what happened. I never did. But if it will help you move on, I forgive you." Laurel said.

"I just wish I could forgive myself." John said.

"What's important now is that I'm alive and now we know better than to trust Andy when shows up." Laurel said and John nodded.

"Andy is my brother in blood only. My real brother's name is Oliver Queen and I trust him with my life." John said.

"We all do." Laurel said as she looked over at her boyfriend, only to be greeted by her ex-boyfriend.

"Hey Laurel." Tommy said.

"Tommy, I'm so sorry for what happened." Laurel said.

"Don't be. I was the one who made the choice to go in to save you and I would make it again in a heartbeat." Tommy said.

"Doesn't make it any easier to live with." Laurel said.

"But you have. And Laurel, just so you know, if you want to be with Ollie, I support that, since honestly, you always loved him more than me." Tommy said.

"But I did love you." Laurel said.

"True, but not as much as you did him." Tommy said and Laurel nodded in acknowledgement of that.

"So, what have you been up to while I was gone. Still partying?" Laurel asked.

"Actually no. I decided to follow in my mom's footsteps on this earth. I'm a doctor now." Tommy said.

"Huh, Dr. Merlyn, sounds like some kind of Grey's Anatomy character." Laurel said and Tommy laughed.

"Maybe, but I was thinking that maybe that could be my contribution to Team Arrow, since I don't have the same combat skills as the rest of you, but from what I hear, you guys never really had a fully trained doctor on the team." Tommy said.

"That's something you'll need to talk to Ollie about." Laurel said and Tommy nodded.

"I'm glad to see you both here." Oliver said to Rene and Dinah.

"I was surprised we got the brain dump, especially since you got your OG squad back." Rene said.

"And especially since you've got the real Black Canary back, since I was never truly worthy of the mantle." Dinah said.

"The only reason everything happened the way it did is because I did not trust you two the way I should have and Diaz took advantage of that. But you two have proven that you deserve the level of trust I should've given you to begin with. And while Dinah, you may not be the Black Canary anymore, since you're right, that mantle is going back to Laurel and honestly, there should only be one Black Canary to avoid causing confusion when we're out in the field, but I do want you two by my side." Oliver said.

"What about Curtis? Why didn't you have J'onn restore his memories?" Rene asked.

"Because honestly, a majority of what Curtis can do is covered by Felicity and he was never really that effective in the field." Oliver said.

"You're not wrong about that." Rene said and Dinah nodded her head in agreement as the party continued.

"I'd like to call a toast." Oliver said towards the end of the party as everyone turned to face him.

"A toast to everyone here, myself included, who has been given a second chance at life." Oliver said as he looked from Laurel, to Tommy, to Moira, to Quentin.

"And to the new future that we will build together. One where our city is not destroyed by the Undertaking or the Siege or anything else. One where Star City remains intact and becomes the shining jewel we all think it could be. To the future that we will do everything in our power to ensure is a bright one." Oliver said as they raised their glasses.

"With speeches like that, you might as well start your mayoral campaign now." Thea said, only half joking.

"Funny, though I am planning on running for mayor again and this time, I'm gonna deal with Ricardo Diaz before he can get me impeached." Oliver said and they all nodded in agreement as they said cheers and took sips from their drinks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this is the longest chapter I've ever written and this is the fifth version of the chapter I've written, but the first I've actually liked. I hope you guys think it was worth the wait like I do.


	4. Chapter 4

"So, why are we here again?" Laurel asked as she, Oliver and Thea arrived at a deserted building in the Glades, finding Lyla waiting for them.

"Not sure. Lyla texted me last night and asked me to get the team together at this address, but she didn't say why." Oliver said as John, Roy, Felicity, Tommy, Rene and Dinah joined them.

"John, you have any idea what this is about?" Oliver asked.

"Man, I'm as in the dark about this as you are. All I know is that Lyla said that she had a surprise for us." John said.

"And I promise that it will be worth all the secrecy." Lyla said.

"Okay, so why did you want us to meet you here?" Oliver asked.

"Because I thought I might help you guys establish a new bunker, since I don't think that the foundry or the basement of Queen Consolidated is going to be big enough for all of you. Both of those were barely big enough for the team when it was just Oliver, John, Felicity, Laurel and Thea or Roy." Lyla said.

"Lyla, if you're offering us an Argus base, I appreciate that, but you know how I feel about Amanda Waller." Oliver said.

"That's why she doesn't know about this and besides, this place is a former Argus base. It was shut down due to budget concerns, you'd just need to fix it up, but it'll meet all your needs." Lyla said.

"And you still know that Waller will find out and while there is a simple solution to that, I'm not sure how it would play out." Oliver said.

"You want to kill her." John said, not at all surprised. In fact, everyone who'd met Waller understood that sentiment.

"You know Waller is too dangerous to be left alive. Plus, I don't want to risk her doing the same thing to me that she did to Maseo." Oliver said.

"You think she'd bring William into this." Felicity said and Oliver nodded.

"I don't think she'd bring William and Samantha into this, I know she would. That woman would gladly hold them both hostage just to keep me on her leash. Not to mention the fact that she thought it would be a good idea to create something like Rubicon. She has to go." Oliver said.

"I figured you'd say something like that, which is why ever since J'onn restored my memories, I've been working on putting together a dossier of all of Waller's crimes to justify her death." Lyla said.

"I'll help with that." Felicity offered.

"I was hoping you would, since you're the only person I know of that I trust that's ever been able to crack her firewalls and encryption. Though Cisco probably could too." Lyla said.

"Who's William?" Tommy asked.

"He's Oliver's son and the one person he'd do anything for." Laurel said.

"Okay, I know I said I had a problem with you killing, but considering the fact that I'm cool with you killing my dad, I guess I can add this bitch to the list too." Tommy said, since while he was still uncomfortable with the idea of his best friend being a killer, he was slowly beginning to understand the necessity of it.

"Plus, once Lyla is made director of Argus, we can begin rooting out the Ninth Circle and get to Emiko." Rene added and Oliver nodded in agreement.

"Maybe we should check this place out before we call in Cisco to upgrade it." Dinah said and they all nodded as Lyla led them inside.

"Okay, I'm not that impressed, since this is just a single story building." Tommy said.

"Where's the secret elevator?" Oliver asked.

"Right this way." Lyla said as she moved a light fixture on the wall to reveal a hidden scanner, which she then placed her face in front of as it scanned her.

"Identity confirmed, deputy director Lyla Michaels." The AI said as the wall panel slid away to reveal the hidden elevator.

"We'll authorize the rest of us once Felicity has this system disconnected from Argus's." Oliver said and they all nodded as they stepped into the elevator and took it down to the abandoned base.

"Well, I think that we can definitely work with this once we get Cisco to upgrade it to our needs." Oliver said as they entered the dusty base.

"It's got everything you'll need. Meeting room, control hub, armory, training room, garage, plus a few upgrades like a real medbay, an actual R&D lab for Felicity, since if I remember correctly, you're just about as good of an inventor as you are a hacker." Lyla said.

"At least in this universe. Thank goodness I kept that expertise when J'onn restored my memories." Felicity said, since she was now a tech genius in addition to being a computer expert and excellent business woman.

"Along with a lounge area and also gives you access to service tunnels under the city." Lyla said.

"Okay, no offense, but this is way better than our old bunker." Rene said.

"None taken, you're right and the reason for that is because the old bunker was really what we threw together from Sebastian Blood's old lair. Now we're taking over a former government base. It offers several perks we didn't have before." Oliver said and they all nodded in agreement.

That night, Amanda Waller was walking through Argus HQ and she was only slightly concerned when she saw her agents on the ground with arrows in them.

"Tranq arrows. You're losing your touch Oliver." Waller said as Oliver dropped down, dressed in his hood garb.

"Not really. Just not interested in killing agents who are only guilty of following orders. You on the other hand. I'm going to take great pleasure in making your death slow and painful." Oliver said as he notched an arrow.

"You're bluffing. You wouldn't risk me exposing you." Waller said.

"Except that Agent Michaels helped an associate of mine get past your firewalls and get rid of everything you have on me." Oliver said as he fired an arrow into her knee, making Waller fall back in pain as Oliver walked up to her and twisted the arrow, making her wince in pain.

"You have to know that you have this coming. Akio's death could've been avoided if you hadn't brought him and Tatsu to China and don't give me any of your BS, we both know you'd let as many kids die to complete a mission as necessary. Why they ever allowed you to remain in a position of authority this long or at all is beyond me, but now that mistake is going to be corrected and you're going to pay for every single one of your crimes. And you're not going to prison." Oliver said.

"If you do this, you're a criminal." Waller said.

"Not when a dossier of your crimes has already been leaked to every law enforcement agency in the country. Including Task Force X. The way I see it, I'm making sure that you can't escape justice ever again. If you want to beg for your life, now's the time." Oliver growled at her.

"Even if I thought it might work, we both know that I wouldn't." Waller said.

"I know. I just wanted to see if you'd do it before I did this." Oliver said as he then proceeded to jam an arrow in Waller's skull, since honestly, he was not convinced that this woman had a heart.

"That was for the Yamashiros." Oliver said as he then proceeded to remove the arrows from Waller, arrow that Felicity had made to resemble bullets, then fired a cable arrow into the vents to escape and honestly, that was one kill he'd made that he actually enjoyed and would not lose any sleep over since Waller was a sociopath who should not have ever been allowed to become the director of Argus. Now Lyla would be able to take over and Argus would be able to become the organization it was always meant to be. One that actually helped the world.


End file.
